STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients' and parents' concerns so they can be addressed with appropriate preoperative counseling. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Despite much research on outcomes for posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), little is available about preoperative fears or concerns. METHODS: Patients with AIS undergoing PSF, their parents, and surgeons were prospectively enrolled and asked to complete a survey on their fears and concerns about surgery at their preoperative appointment. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients and parents completed surveys. Four attending pediatric spine surgeons participated and submitted 48 responses. Mean age of patients was 14.2 years. On a scale of 0 to 10, mean level of concern reported by parents (6.9) was higher than that reported by patients (4.6). Surgeons rated the procedure's complexity on a scale of 0 to 10 and reported a mean of 5.2. Neither patients' nor parents' level of concern correlated with the surgeons' assessment of the procedure's complexity level (R = 0.19 and 0.12, P = 0.20 and P = 0.42, respectively). Top three concerns for patients were pain (25%), ability to return to activities (21%), and neurologic injury (17%). Top three concerns for parents were pain (35%), neurologic injury (21%), and amount of correction (17%). Top three concerns for surgeons were postoperative shoulder balance (44%), neurologic injury (27%), and lowest instrumented vertebrae selection (27%). Patients reported the same concerns 23% of the time as parents, and 17% of the time as surgeons. Parents and surgeons reported the same concerns 21% of the time. CONCLUSION: Pain was the greatest concern for both patients and parents but was rarely listed as a concern by surgeons. Parent and patient level of concern did not correlate to the surgeon's assessment of the procedure's complexity. Neurologic injury was a top concern for all groups, but otherwise there was little overlap between physician, patient, and parent concerns. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.
STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients' and parents' concerns so they can be addressed with appropriate preoperative counseling. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Despite much research on outcomes for posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), little is available about preoperative fears or concerns. METHODS:Patients with AIS undergoing PSF, their parents, and surgeons were prospectively enrolled and asked to complete a survey on their fears and concerns about surgery at their preoperative appointment. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients and parents completed surveys. Four attending pediatric spine surgeons participated and submitted 48 responses. Mean age of patients was 14.2 years. On a scale of 0 to 10, mean level of concern reported by parents (6.9) was higher than that reported by patients (4.6). Surgeons rated the procedure's complexity on a scale of 0 to 10 and reported a mean of 5.2. Neither patients' nor parents' level of concern correlated with the surgeons' assessment of the procedure's complexity level (R = 0.19 and 0.12, P = 0.20 and P = 0.42, respectively). Top three concerns for patients were pain (25%), ability to return to activities (21%), and neurologic injury (17%). Top three concerns for parents were pain (35%), neurologic injury (21%), and amount of correction (17%). Top three concerns for surgeons were postoperative shoulder balance (44%), neurologic injury (27%), and lowest instrumented vertebrae selection (27%). Patients reported the same concerns 23% of the time as parents, and 17% of the time as surgeons. Parents and surgeons reported the same concerns 21% of the time. CONCLUSION:Pain was the greatest concern for both patients and parents but was rarely listed as a concern by surgeons. Parent and patient level of concern did not correlate to the surgeon's assessment of the procedure's complexity. Neurologic injury was a top concern for all groups, but otherwise there was little overlap between physician, patient, and parent concerns. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.
Authors: Steven W Hwang; Courtney Pendleton; Amer F Samdani; Tracey P Bastrom; Heather Keeny; Baron S Lonner; Peter O Newton; Joshua M Pahys Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2020-01-28 Impact factor: 3.134